English Idioms and Phrases (A–T)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key idioms and phrases from the provided lecture notes.

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

Having something certain is better than risking it for more and losing everything.

A Blessing In Disguise

Something good that isn’t recognized at first.

A Chip On Your Shoulder

Being upset about something that happened in the past.

A Dime A Dozen

Something common and easy to get.

A Doubting Thomas

A skeptic who needs personal evidence before believing.

A Drop In The Bucket

A very small part of something big or whole.

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted

A foolish person quickly loses his or her money.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

Success requires unity; without it, a venture will fail.

A Leopard Can’t Change His Spots

People cannot change their fundamental nature.

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

Saving money is as valuable as earning it.

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

Visuals are more descriptive than words.

A Piece Of Cake

A task that can be done very easily.

A Slap On The Wrist

A very mild punishment.

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine

Being mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

A Toss-Up

An outcome that is unclear and could go either way.

Against The Clock

Rushed and short on time.

All Bark And No Bite

Threatening words without willingness to act.

All Greek To Me

Meaningless or incomprehensible language.

All In The Same Boat

Everyone is facing the same challenges.

An Arm And A Leg

Very expensive; a large amount of money.

An Axe To Grind

To have a dispute with someone.

Apple Of My Eye

Someone who is cherished above all others.

As High As A Kite

Anything that is very high up in the sky.

At The Drop Of A Hat

Willing to do something immediately.

Back Seat Driver

One who criticizes from the sidelines, giving unwanted advice.

Back To Square One

Having to start all over again.

Back To The Drawing Board

When an attempt fails and you must start again.

Baker’s Dozen

Thirteen.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Making a mistake in what you are trying to achieve.

Beat A Dead Horse

To pursue an issue that has already ended.

Beating Around The Bush

Avoiding the main topic; not speaking directly.

Bend Over Backwards

Do whatever it takes to help; willing to do anything.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Stuck between two very bad options.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

To take on a task too big to handle.

Bite Your Tongue

To avoid speaking.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Family bonds are the closest of all.

Blue Moon

A rare event or occurrence.

Break A Leg

A superstitious way to say ‘good luck.’

Buy A Lemon

Purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems.

Can’t Cut The Mustard

Not adequate enough to compete or participate.

Cast Iron Stomach

Able to eat or drink anything without ill effects.

Charley Horse

Stiffness or cramp in the leg.

Chew Someone Out

Verbally scold someone.

Chip On His Shoulder

Angry about something that happened in the past.

Chow Down

To eat.

Close But No Cigar

Very near to success but falling short.

Cock And Bull Story

An unbelievable tale.

Come Hell Or High Water

Any difficult situation or obstacle.

Crack Someone Up

To make someone laugh.

Dark Horse

A previously unknown person who becomes prominent.

Dead Ringer

100 % identical; a duplicate.

Devil’s Advocate

One who argues a position for the sake of argument, not belief.

Dog Days Of Summer

The hottest days of summer.

Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

Don’t rely on something until you are sure of it.

Don’t Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth

Don’t be ungrateful for a gift.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

Don’t place all resources in one possibility.

Doozy

Something outstanding.

Down To The Wire

Ending at the last minute.

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures

Extreme desperation requires extreme action.

Drink Like A Fish

To drink alcohol very heavily.

Drive Someone Up The Wall

To irritate or annoy greatly.

Dropping Like Flies

Many people falling ill or dying.

Dry Run

A rehearsal.

Eighty Six

Item no longer available, or to throw away.

Elvis Has Left The Building

The show is over.

Ethnic Cleansing

Mass killing of a particular ethnic or religious group.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

Remain optimistic; bad times lead to better days.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink

Almost everything has been included.

Excuse My French

Please forgive my cursing.

Feeding Frenzy

An aggressive group attack on someone.

Field Day

An enjoyable day or circumstance.

Finding Your Feet

Becoming more comfortable at what you’re doing.

Finger Lickin’ Good

Extremely tasty food.

Fixed In Your Ways

Unwilling to change your usual habits.

Flash In The Pan

Promising at first but failing to deliver.

Flea Market

A swap meet for inexpensive goods.

Flesh And Blood

Living human material, or family relations.

Flip The Bird

Raise your middle finger at someone.

Foam At The Mouth

To be enraged and show it visibly.

Fools’ Gold

Iron pyrite; worthless rock resembling gold.

French Kiss

Open-mouth kiss with touching tongues.

From Rags To Riches

To go from poverty to great wealth.

Fuddy-duddy

An old-fashioned, foolish person.

Full Monty

Either ‘the whole thing’ or ‘completely nude.’

Funny Farm

A mental institution.

Get Down To Brass Tacks

Become serious about the essential details.

Get Over It

Move beyond what is bothering you.

Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

Have a horrible day from the start.

Get Your Walking Papers

Get fired from a job.

Give Him The Slip

To escape from someone.

Go Down Like A Lead Balloon

Be received badly by an audience.

Go For Broke

Gamble everything you have.

Go Out On A Limb

Put yourself in a tough position to support something.

Go The Extra Mile

Do more than is required.

Good Samaritan

Helps others with no thought of reward.

Graveyard Shift

Work hours from midnight to 8 am.

Great Minds Think Alike

Intelligent people often have similar ideas.

Green Room

Waiting room for performers about to go on.

Gut Feeling

Personal intuition that something isn’t right.

Haste Makes Waste

Doing things quickly results in poor outcomes.